Dutch Coal Mining in the Papers
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Utrecht University 18-01-2020 Cultural History of Modern Europe Supervisor: Dr. Pim Huijnen Dutch Coal Mining in the Papers A 20TH CENTURY COMPARATIVE MEDIA STUDY KEVIN VAN WANROOIJ, 4196767 Abstract This thesis conducts a comparative media analysis, using the Telegraaf and Limburgsch Dagblad, of the Dutch coal mines during the twentieth century. This analysis focuses on three events: the opening of the mine Maurits in 1926, the oil-crises of the seventies, and the silver jubilee in 1990. The analysis focuses on the identity and import of the mines on a national and regional level. While all of the Netherlands was initially intent on creating a shared industrial identity during the early twentieth century, this quickly fell out of favor when the industry was no longer the main focus of the Dutch economy. Meanwhile, Limburg had changed into a mono-economy, with industry and coal mining serving a central role. The province thus incorporated these aspects in its regional identity. The Telegraaf continued to publish less on coal and the mines as the Dutch identity changed. The Netherlands forgot about what coal mining had meant for the country and destroyed most of the physical heritage. The closure left Limburg with an enormous trauma which influenced a victimized identity. For the Netherlands it was easier to let go of the industrial heritage as the country at large had not solely relied on it like its province Limburg. For Limburg the identity became so intertwined with the regional identity that the shock of the closure still resonates to this day. 1 Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Historical Context of the Dutch Coal Mines .............................................................................................. 4 Methodology and Framework .................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter One: A New Royal Mine in 1926 ................................................................................................... 10 Background ............................................................................................................................................. 10 The Popularity of coal ............................................................................................................................. 11 Maurits and Limburg Identity ................................................................................................................. 14 Concluding .............................................................................................................................................. 17 Chapter Two: The Energy crises of the Seventies ....................................................................................... 19 Background ............................................................................................................................................. 19 A Renewed Interest ................................................................................................................................ 21 A Changed Identity .................................................................................................................................. 24 Concluding .............................................................................................................................................. 27 Chapter Three: The Silver Jubilee ............................................................................................................... 28 Well in the Past. ...................................................................................................................................... 30 The Coal Mining Legacy .......................................................................................................................... 31 Positivity .................................................................................................................................................. 34 Concluding .............................................................................................................................................. 35 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 36 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................ 38 Primary sources chapter 1: ..................................................................................................................... 38 Primary sources chapter 2: ..................................................................................................................... 40 Primary sources chapter 3: ..................................................................................................................... 41 Secondary Sources .................................................................................................................................. 42 Other Images ........................................................................................................................................... 43 Appendix 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 44 2 Introduction The Zollverein in Germany is a grand museum detailing the rich industrial history of Essen. It details various aspects of coal mining such as the lives the workers led in nearby cities or the fossils found during the excavation of the black gold. Zollverein has even become a UNESCO world heritage site, which shows the important role this heritage fulfills in German culture.1 The Netherlands has a coal mining history as well. It was the major economic focus of Limburg, a province in the Southern Netherlands, for half a century. Thirteen mines were excavated in the search for solid carbon beneath the earth. After the closure, only a handful of buildings, mountains of excavated rock, and a solitary coal museum in an old marl-mine were almost all that remained. Coal mining seems to hold a different meaning for the Dutch than it does for the Germans. Even though coal mining had served as the foundation for the Dutch industry and energy sector for many decades, there was barely any recognition of this. Only very recently, in 2020, have the coal mines been added to the Dutch Canon, which is an overview of the most important events in Dutch history taught in Dutch schools, and a new mining museum was established in 2005.2 How different this perception regarding coal must have been in the Netherlands when all twelve mines were still in operation. When coal was still needed throughout the land not only to create electricity, but also to warm homes. After the discovery of natural gas in the Northern Netherlands and the decline of the mines, the Dutch destroyed almost everything related to the coal mines. What was left for the proud coal miners who remained in Limburg? This thesis will vie to analyze the national and regional perceptions the Dutch held concerning the coal mining industry through the lens of three different events during the twentieth century. These events will be explored through a national and regional newspaper. The thesis starts with the official opening of the mine Maurits in 1926, the oil-crises of the seventies, and the silver jubilee of the closure of the mines in 1990. Central to the thesis will be the perceived value of the mines for the national and regional communities and how coal tied into their identities. A brief history of the coal mines follows as context for the chosen events. 1 UNESCO, ‘Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen’, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/975/ (16-01-2021). 2 Canon van Nederland, ‘Kolen en Gas: het energievraagstuk’, https://www.canonvannederland.nl/nl/page/142180/kolen-en-gas (05-01-2021). Nederlands Mijnmuseum, ‘Over NMM’, https://www.nederlandsmijnmuseum.nl/over-nederlands-mijnmuseum/ (17-01-2021) 3 Historical Context of the Dutch Coal Mines Coal has served as the backbone of industrialization around the globe and many countries were keen on exploiting coal resources. The Netherlands shares the area in which its coal deposits can be found with Belgium and Germany in the very south-eastern tip of the country called South-Limburg. Coal has been extracted in this area for almost a millennium. Possibly longer, as coal was still available at the surface during the Middle Ages. Coal has always been a reliable source of energy. When the industrial revolution took place and the applications for different kinds of coal grew, the mining industry took off. In 1850 the Netherlands had just one coal mine. By the 1930s, this number had grown to twelve. Most of these mines had been built after the turn of the century.3 The 1920s were the apex of the coal mining era. The great recession and the Second World War would hamper the coal mines. After the Second World War, there was a short boom until the mid-1950s.4 The industry was still one of the most important economic branches in the Netherlands and coal was often indispensable for it to function. However, the importance